The present invention relates to a mounting bracket for a plumbing fixture. More particularly this invention relates to a set including a mounting bracket which is easily attachable to a water supply pipe and a holder for a hand shower which is detachably mounted to the mounting bracket and is displaceable relative thereto.
Hand-held showerheads are experiencing a surge in popularity. Such showerheads are convenient in use, esthetically appealing and easily replaceable without help from a professional plumber. Numerous designs of mounting arrangements for hand-held showers have been introduced; however, many of the known designs have certain disadvantages.
Some of the known mounting arrangements are unjustifiably complicated and, thus, costly. Still other known structures may not be sufficiently reliable in use and, thus, may be a subject to their frequent replacements. Yet other known structures are difficult to install, thereby undermining such an advantage as an easy installation those hand-held showerheads may have over standard wall mounted showerheads.
Conventional showerhead mounts typically comprise an elongate support which rigidly attaches to a shower surround wall and a holder connected to the support for holding the showerhead. In the past, the support was usually attached to the wall with semi-permanent means such as with adhesives and/or fasteners which penetrated the surface of the wall. For example, screw fasteners and permanent adhesives were customarily used to attach the support to the wall.
Frequently, adjustable mounts are used in combination with hand-held showerheads to permit the level of the showerhead to be lowered from a typical wall-mounted showerhead level for use by children and the infirm. The adjustability of the mount permits the shower head to be changed as the children grow to accommodate their increasing height, and permits temporary repositioning of the shower head when persons of differing heights use the shower. Once the children are grown, it is often desirable to remove the mount from the shower surround wall to restore the shower to its original condition and appearance. To overcome the problems associated with removal of the above-discussed adjustable mounts, structures allowing adjustable mounts to be attached to existing water supply pipes are became increasingly popular.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,979,096 discloses an adjustable mount for a hand-held shower head including a mounting bracket, which surrounds a water pipe, and a showerhead holder, which has a forked seat screwed to the mounting bracket. The mounting bracket has an opening receiving the water pipe and is sandwiched between a pair of nuts preventing its displacement along the pipe. The showerhead holder is displaceable relative to the bracket upon loosening of a screw, which threadedly engages both, the bracket and the holder. Thus, if one needs to adjust position of the entire structure relative to the water pipe, one has to first loosen the nuts, and then to tighten them up so as to fix a desirable position that has been reached upon displacement of the bracket.
Having established a position of the mounting bracket, one may have a number of reasons for establishing a new angular position of the showerhead holder relative to the bracket. For example, one of the reasons may be the fact that a water jet does not reach a desirable destination to be washed. Still another reason may be the fact that the showerhead is to be used for a standard stationary shower use. To accomplish displacement of the holder, one has to manipulate the screw which is, perhaps, time consuming and not always convenient.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,174,822 to Larsson discloses an adjustable mounting bracket having two flexible shanks which form a seat for a water pipe and a showerhead holder pivotal on the a pin which traverses the arms. An array of formations between the holder and the shanks allow the holder to frictionally move relative to the mounting bracket. As is the case with the previously discussed reference, one has to manipulate a fastener to displace the bracket along the water pipe. Additionally, in case of the damaged showerhead, the adjustable mount should be completely disassembled in order to mount a new showerhead on the pin.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,632,049 discloses an adjustable mount including a mounting bracket, which has a handle locking the bracket in the desirable position relative to a water pipe, and a showerhead holder. Mounted between the holder and the bracket is a ball bearing allowing these two elements to move relative to one another. However, if either of the elements needs to be replaced, one has to dismantle the entire assembly in order to separate the holder from the bracket.
What is desired, therefore, is an adjustable mount for a showerhead, and the like which has a mounting bracket that can be easily attached to a water pipe. Also, a showerhead holder that can be displaceable relative to the mounting bracket is desirable, as is a structure allowing the adjustable mount to be easily disassembled.
With an adjustable mount of this invention a mounting bracket can be easily mounted to a water pipe and to a showerhead holder. More particularly, the adjustable mount includes a mounting bracket made of resilient material and having a mounting flange, which temporarily expands upon applying an external force during mounting of the bracket on the pipe.
An attaching assembly, in accordance with one aspect of the invention, allows the showerhead to be easily connected to the bracket to have these elements easily assembled. Specifically, the attaching assembly includes a pin located on one of the connectable elements and a recess formed on the other element. The recess has a rib extending along a part of a periphery of the recess and having a shape allowing a radial arm of the pin to be effortlessly inserted in the recess. Once the mounting bracket and the holder are attached to one another, angular displacement of one of the elements relative to another provides a reliable engagement between the rib and arm. An external torque applied to one of the attached elements and sufficient to overcome frictional forces between the rib and arm displaces the elements to a locking position, wherein further movement in a direction of the torque is arrested.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the mounting bracket has a mounting flange resiliently clamping the water pipe and a body extending from the mounting flange and having a collar which guides an edge of the holder during its displacement relative to the bracket. Thus, two separate regions including one between the arm and the rib and the other between the edge and the collar ensure reliable displacement of the holder relative to the bracket.
All of the elements are made of resilient material, such as plastic or a durable synthetic resin, allowing the elements to elastically deform upon applying an external force and to assume their original dimensions and positions upon ceasing of this force. Thus, the mounting flange serving as a seat for the water pipe has its shanks expanded upon applying an external force by a user, so that the water pipe is reliably clamped upon its insertion.
A combination of the mounting bracket and showerhead holder may also include a new relatively short pipe having an elbow between its opposite ends and shaped and sized to be reliably clamped by the mounting flange. By having differently sized threaded ends of the pipe, the adjustable mount can be easily attached to differently sized main water pipes.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide an adjustable mount including a mounting bracket and a showerhead holder that are displaceable relative to one another to provide a series of angular positions for a showerhead with respect to the mounting bracket.
Another object of the invention is to provide a mounting bracket including a mounting flange that can be easily attached to existing water pipes by applying an external force.
Still another object of the invention is to provide an adjustable mount including a combination of a mounting flange and a showerhead holder that can be easily and reliably attached to one another.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide an attaching assembly allowing a showerhead holder and a mounting bracket to be angularly displaced relative to one another between a position wherein they are displaceably fixed and a position wherein the holder is detached from the bracket.